Hidden Smiles
by Georgy-Girl
Summary: Snippets from the life of Jenny and Dennis
1. The Movies

Jenny gave a sigh and avoided looking at Dennis as they exited the cinema.

As they walked towards where the group had parked their cars, Mike slipped an arm around Tricia's waist and offered Dennis a smile. "Brilliant movie, Sarge."

Dennis could only nod, hearing a faint giggle from Jenny that made his bite his lip to stop his own smile.

When they'd finally bid one another goodnight and separated for the drive home, Jenny was no longer able to suppress her giggles, and Dennis grinned as he rested his head on the back of his seat. "That movie was terrible."

"I know! And they looked so engrossed!" Jenny laughed.

"I suppose some people like..ah...what exactly was it? A mechanical dinosaur?"

Jenny's giggles continued as she tried to talk. "I glanced at you half way through and you were asleep!"

"Aye, well, I-"

Mike knocked on the window, interrupting them. "Sorry. Sarge. Don't suppose we could get a ride back? My bike has conked out.."

"Ah, yes, sure." He glanced at Jenny, putting a finger to his lips with a smirk, only making her giggles worse.

...

40 minutes later, Dennis drew up outside Jenny's flat. "Well, I could just about live through an hour of mechanical dinosaur, but I could have done without the added half an hour trying to think of something good to say about it."

"You're lucky, everyone expects you to be silent, but I'll probably have to talk about that for weeks!"

Dennis smiled, turning in his seat to face Jenny. "I can't say the movie was that great, but I had a lovely night. I don't think I've laughed so much in years."

"Maybe we should see terrible movies more often."

Dennis reached out to twirl some of Jenny's hair through his fingers. "Aye, maybe we should." Leaning forward, he gave her a gentle kiss. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

Jenny gave a nod, kissing Dennis once more before climbing from the car.


	2. Only Because

The next morning Dennis sat at his desk, unable to concentrate on the paperwork spread in front of him. Something had happened last night. He wasn't sure what, but he'd felt a definite shift in his relationship with Jenny.

"Sarge." Bellamy knocked but opened the door without waiting for a reply. "There's been another break in."

"And you couldn't deal with that yourself?" Dennis spoke sharply.

Bellamy Flinched. "I…sorry, Sarge."

Dennis sighed. "Fine. Tell me."

…

Jenny looked up from her work, and a smile lit her face when she saw Dennis holding the door open for a departing patient. "To what do we owe the pleasure, Sergeant?"

Dennis couldn't stop the smile that pulled at his lips. "I'm here on business, unfortunately. There have been a spate of surgery break-ins, so I need to discuss added security measures with you."

Jenny nodded, her smile widening. "Think we could do that over lunch?"

Dennis' eyes sparkled. "Aye, I think we could manage that."

…

Dennis laughed into his drink and was rewarded by a slap on the arm.

"It's not funny. We've seen 30 patients this morning, and every one of them has asked me about that movie."

"Don't forget it was you who picked it."

"Only because.." Jenny started off laughingly, but when she realised what she'd been about to say she grew silent.

"Only because?" Dennis asked softly.

"It doesn't matter." She felt the colour flushing her cheeks.

Dennis smiled gently at this but decided to leave the question for later. "Another drink?"

"Please."

…


	3. Love

"I love you."

"Again."

They'd rushed into Jenny's flat, soaked to the bone after a sudden storm. Jenny had made mugs of tea and Dennis had lit the fire, then they'd sat in companionable silence until the scot had suddenly interrupted it with words Jenny had never expected to hear.

Now, Dennis dropped a kiss to her shoulder and said softly, "I love you."

Jenny smiled into her mug of tea. "Again?"

"You don't have anything else to say?"

Jenny bit her lip and shook her head.

"I-" Dennis was interrupted by Jenny before he could say it again.

"I love you, too."

…

"It's happened again, Sarge." Ventress called out.

Dennis waited a moment, then asked "Are you going to elucidate on that, or are you waiting for me to guess?"

"Going to what? Oh, sorry Sarge. There's been another surgery break in. We just got a call from a neighbour saying they think the intruder is still there. Mike's on his way."

Dennis sighed. "Great. Where this time?"

"Aidensfield."

…


	4. Anger

"Has NOTHING I told you in the last few days gone in?! Why did you do something so utterly stupid?!"  
Jenny crossed her arms as Dennis paced. "That's not fair. You never said they'd show up while we were here, and I thought he was injured. He WAS injured. Perhaps if you lot had done your job properly we might have known he'd try to get in that way! Now if you'll excuse me, I have work to do.  
Jenny walked into Tricia's office and leant against the door, shutting her eyes.  
"He's was just worried that you could have been hurt, Jen." Tricia tried to placate her.  
"Well he could just say that instead of yelling at me in front of other people and making me feel it was my fault!"

...

Two hours later, Jenny walked into the police station, and Alf brushed the crumbs from his jacket before standing.  
"What can we do for you Jenny, love?"  
When he heard her name, Dennis walked out from the tearoom, but her eyes avoided him.  
"We've made a list of all the medications that were taken. There was a new delivery this morning that we hadn't checked, but I've written down the details of the delivery company, so you can check with them."  
"Right, thanks."  
She managed a half smile, then turned towards the door and left quickly.

Just as she'd reached her scooter, Dennis rushed out. "Jenny…"  
"Are you sure you want to do this here? There aren't many people around, and I thought you liked an audience."  
The sergeant sighed and lowered his head. "Jen, I'm sorry. The thought of something happening to you…"  
"Something has happened to me. I've been…humiliated in front of my colleague and half the village. Now can you please let go of my scooter so I can leave."  
"Jenny, please…" Dennis let go of her scooter as he spoke.  
"Has it ever occurred to you that what happened this morning might have frightened me? That instead of a lecture all I needed was a hug? No, because you only think of your job."  
Dennis went to protest, but was drowned out by the sound of her engine, and he watched hopelessly as she rode away.


	5. Catch The Wind

_When rain has hung the leaves with tears_

 _I want you near to kill my fears_

 _To help me to leave all my blues behind_

 _For standin' in your heart_

 _Is where I want to be and long to be_

 _Ah, but I may as well try and catch the wind._

...

The next evening, Dennis took a deep breath before approaching Jenny's door. Moving the flowers into his other hand, he knocked.

"Can I help you?" A young man Dennis had never seen before pulled the door open.

"You are?"

The man raised his eyebrows. "Isn't that normally the question of the person answering the door and not the one knocking?"

Dennis hesitated, then nodded, mumbling, "Sorry, wrong house."

As he turned away, the man relented and called out. "You're Dennis, aren't you?"

The scot turned back to face him. "Aye, that's me."

"I'm Steve, Jenny's brother. Recognized you from the photo on the mantelpiece."

The thought that Jenny still had his photo up bolstered the sergeants confidence, and when nothing more was forthcoming, Dennis asked, "Is jenny in?"

"Gone out to the movies with a friend. She shouldn't be too long, if you want to wait inside?"

The desire to see Jenny was stronger than his reluctance to go inside, where he heard a group of people, so he nodded, following Steven up the stairs.

"Drink, Den?"

"It's Dennis, and no thank you."

"Well, take a seat. Like I said, she won't be long." Steve motioned to the full couch where his friends sat, chatting loudly before sitting himself down on the table.

Dennis studied the group who were in various stages of intoxication before he retreated to sit on the edge of Jenny's bed.

…


	6. Sleepy Joe

When Jenny walked towards home an hour later, the noise coming from her flat made her sigh. She could have done without the added company, but she'd promised her brother months ago he could come here on his holiday.

Not noticing Dennis' car as she passed it, Jenny walked through the front door, calling up, "I'm home, so anything naughty that's going on should stop."

A moment later, Steve appeared at the top of the stairs. "Me, do anything naughty? Never!"

Jenny smiled, hanging up her coat before ascending the stairs. "Don't forget, I'm your sister. I know just how naughty you can be. Don't forget the time you filled mum's-"

"Yes, well, all we've been doing is catching up. You remember Lisa, Tom and Cheryl?"

As Jenny gave them a smile, Steve added, "And a person can't do anything too wrong when there's a policeman in the house. Even if he is asleep."

Jenny looked to where Steve was pointing and gave a soft laugh. Dennis was sat up, head resting against the wall and hand still clasping the flowers, but he was fast asleep.

…

Having barely slept the night before following a week of late nights, Dennis had been exhausted. He'd tried all day to get away and talk with Jenny, but the opportunity hadn't presented itself until that evening. He wasn't even aware he'd felt sleepy until a hand on his arm gently shook him awake.

The house was quiet now, and mostly dark. In fact, it took Dennis a moment to realise the only light source was coming through the window. Daylight.

His eyes quickly adjusting to the dark, he saw Jenny sat on the edge of the bed next to him, a slight smile on her face. "You know, normally when people come over to apologise, they at least try and stay awake until the person gets home."

As Dennis opened his mouth to apologise, Jenny put a finger to his lips. "Not now. It's nearly 7, so you'll need to go home and get ready for work. I've made you some breakfast. We can talk tonight…if you manage to stay awake this time."

"I'm so, so sorry. I don't know what happened."

"I do. You've been working all hours and not taking proper care of yourself. Go on, breakfast, and then if you're lucky I might give you a goodbye kiss."


	7. Jazz hand

Dennis gave Ventress a grumbled greeting before making his way towards his office just after midday. He hated court. He was always convinced that somehow his demotion or his temper would be worked into the defence.

Now, he slid his jacket off and sat at his desk, emitting a sigh before noticing the box on top of his paperwork.

With a frown, he took the folded piece of paper from the top and opened it.

 _'No excuses not to have any lunch now, Sergeant._

 _Love, Jenny.'_

 _…_

"Doctor's surgery."

"Can I take this to mean you're not angry with me anymore?" Dennis asked hopefully as Jenny passed a prescription to a patient with a smile.

"It means that even though I'm angry, I still care about you, and I know you need regular meals with your medication."

Dennis sighed, leaning back in his chair. "Can I see you tonight?"

"I already have plans." Jenny played with the telephone cord, winding it round her fingers.

"Lunch tomorrow, then?"

"No, thank you."

The hint of teasing in her voice was enough to get Dennis to keep asking, and when she'd turned him down several times, he added. "Well tell me when I will be able to see you."

"Well, I'm not sure, considering you've forgotten we've had tickets for almost a month to see that Jazz show tonight."

This brought a smile to Dennis' lips and he sat forward in his seat, suddenly feeling hungry. "I hadn't forgotten."

"Of course not. I need to go. Pick me up from the pub at 6."

Before the scot had replied, she'd hung up the phone. Still smiling to himself, Dennis bit into his sandwich.

...

"This seat taken?" That evening, Dennis rested a hand on the chair opposite Jenny.

"Depends who's asking, Dennis or the Sergeant."

Dennis sighed, sitting down before reaching out for her hand. "I'm sorry for what I said, how I behaved, Jen, but all sorts of things were running through my head on the way to the surgery. The thought of losing you…"

"Dennis-"

"Let me say it. The thought of losing you, it broke me in two. I can't imagine life without you. I still don't know what you see in me- I have a terrible temper, I find it difficult to talk about my feelings… but, I…I want to ask you-"

"Ready, Jen?" Gina asked, approaching from the bar. When she saw Dennis' frown, she smiled.

"Me and Phil got tickets too. I went to school with one of the band members. Jen and I decided it would be easier to go as a group."

"We'll see you outside in a moment." Jenny suppled, and as Gina nodded, Jenny squeezed Dennis' hand. "Sorry. I don't remember agreeing, she just kept talking, and I must have nodded at the wrong point."

Dennis gave a nod in resignation and stood.


	8. Dinner

As they sat in the car outside Jenny's flat a few hours later, Dennis stared down at his lap. "Jenny-"

Interrupting, Jenny reached out to clasp one of his hands. "Dennis, what you were going to say earlier..."

"Jenny! Home late, I don't know what our parents would say!" Steve called out from the doorway, grinning.

Jenny sighed as Dennis took his hand away. "You should go in, it's cold out here."

Jenny glanced towards her brother, then back to Dennis. After a moment's hesitation, she leant over and kissed his cheek gently. "I love you, Dennis. I love you even with your temper and your struggle to talk about your emotions. And I love you a little bit more every time I see you struggling between what you want to do and what you think you should do." She dropped another kiss to his cheek before climbing from the car.

"Night, Dennis."

The scot finally looked up, a smile on his face. "Night, Jen."

"You're not coming inside, Den?!" Steve called out, getting a slap on the arm from Jenny.

…

"Sarge, phone call! It's the neighbour who called us about the Aidensfield surgery break-in!" Alf called out, hoping the sergeant's door was open so he wouldn't have to get up.

With a sigh, Dennis picked up the phone, expecting a long call about nothing in particular. "Mrs Jenkins?"

"Sergeant Merton! The boy was back! The one who broke in. I'm sure of it. He was walking next to Jenny, and the doctor was walking in front of them-"

"Was? When did this happen?"

"About half an hour ago. Yes, just after 1."

"Why the hell did you wait half an hour to call?!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sure, but I had to see my grandson off to school after his dinner!"

Slamming down the phone, Dennis called out. "Alf!"


	9. Chance

Half an hour later, Dennis was pacing just out of sight of the surgery, unsure what to do. He was torn between procedure and protecting Jenny, especially after last time. As Mike prepped his sergeant on what he knew, Jenny's words from the day before flowed through Dennis' head, and he suddenly knew what to do.

…

"Look, we haven't got anything else! You took what you wanted last time and we haven't restocked it. We don't have some endless supply somewhere!"

"Don't you doctors have to take some kind of oath? My wife is sick, she NEEDS the medication."

As Tricia went to reply, Jenny shifted in her seat where he'd tied her hands behind her back. "If you'd just brought her in, the doctor would have given you what she needs, legally."

"Oh, its that simple is it? And I suppose there's no cost involved, and no police involvement. Don't think I don't know who you're dating. Now shut it, it's the doctor I want to talk to."

…

Dennis had outlined the entry points for the surgery on the back of the paper Alf had been reading, then described his plans to his officers. They nodded and quickly moved into position.

…

Tricia flinched as the man shattered the cabinet beside her. "We told you, we have nothing else!"

"You're lying!"

…

As Tricia tried to calm the man down, asking about his wife and what had happened to her, Jenny caught sight of someone looking in the window. Tilting her head back a little, she saw a police helmet disappear from view.

"What are you looking at?"

"Nothing! I-"

She was cut off by Mike speaking through the door. "We've got your wife, Keith, and she's on her way to hospital. She's absolutely fine, but she wants you with her, and the only way that can happen is if you drop that knife."

"We can't afford hospital!"

"Well, come out and we can discuss all that, we can work something out."

..

Outside the window, when he saw Keith get closer to the door, an officer signalled and a moment later Mike knocked in the door, sending the knife flying from Keiths hand.

As Tricia jumped up and moved to safety and Mike tackled Keith to the ground, Dennis entered and began untying Jenny's hands. "How come you're the only one tied up, then?" He spoke lightly, seeing the tears shining in her eyes.

"Guess he knew how annoyed I get when I miss my lunch and didn't want to chance me storming him." Jenny spoke it a shaking voice, and when her hands were finally free, she wrapped them round Dennis' shoulders.

Holding her tightly, he dropped a kiss to her head. "You're ok."

…

Several hours later, after she'd been assessed at the hospital and given her statement, Dennis had taken Jenny home. Staying with her until she was asleep, he was now walking back to his car, intending to go back to the station.

"Den!" Steve rushed out of the house.

With a sigh Dennis turned, about to correct him when Steve gave a smile. "Sorry. Dennis. I just wanted to say thank you…for looking after Jenny. I think you might be ok for a copper after all."

Steve held out a hand for him to shake, and after a moment Dennis accepted it.


	10. Hidden Smiles

Two days later, they were sat in the car by the side of the road in silence, staring at the flooded road in front of them.

Dennis was the first to break the silence. "Well, there goes those plans, then."

Jenny smiled and spoke in a teasing voice. "Oh don't pretend you were looking forward to it!"

Dennis smiled and looked at her, but his smile faltered a little when he saw the cut evident on her forehead that still made him feel guilty. "I was, actually. Steve and I have come to a mutual agreement that we may not much like each other, but we don't like other people more."

Jenny laughed at this. "That sounds about right."

"..I'd even go so far as inviting him to be my best man at our wedding."

"We're getting married, then?"

"I hope so."

Jenny bit her lip and turned to Dennis who was by now staring at the steering wheel. "Well, you'll just have to ask me officially then, won't you?"

…

An hour later, they entered the pub, dripping from the rain and in high spirits.

"Jen! I'm glad you're here, Mike and I have some news." Tricia pulled her from Dennis' grip.

Quietening the patrons, Mike grinned widely. "We're getting married!"

As a cheer went up, Jenny turned to look at Dennis, who was unable to stop the disappointed expression on his face. He'd been about to announce the same thing.

…

After congratulating her friends, Jenny approached Dennis who was now stood by the fire. Reaching up, she put a hand to his cheek. "Oh, cheer up. All this means is that we get to keep our news to ourselves a little longer. It just means a few more hidden smiles and keeping the neighbours guessing."

Dennis smiled at this, turning his head to kiss her palm. "I think I can probably live with that."


End file.
